I have been feeling grotty all week.

It started a week ago with a sudden attack of sickness and diarrhoea the details of which are not fit for publication. Suffice to say that it ran and ran from Saturday evening and all day Sunday, and I didn't dare leave the house to go to church. I understand it is best just to let these things run, which is just as well since the diarrhoea tablets had a use-by date in 1989. We are not a family given to tummy upsets.

On Monday I made the decision to go into work as it was a meeting with no child contact or, for me, personal responsibility. In fact, any input from me beyond sitting and looking vaguely intelligent was entirely optional; I think I just about passed muster.

Having survived Monday there seemed no reason not to go in for Tuesday. Invaders and Settlers (Saxons) in the morning and Living with the Land (Victorian farming and farm labourers' families) in the afternoon. The former was for me the first time with this workshop in over a year so there was no dong it on automatic pilot, but in the afternoon I was shadowing Hilary prior to doing this particular workshop for the first time on Thursday. The morning took it out of me, and my lunch did not stay down, Thank goodness I was only watching in the afternoon.

Wednesday I was back to watching daytime television in front of the fire, and avoiding food.

Thursday I felt much better again so I went to work and taught the Victorian School in the morning, and Living with the Land in the afternoon. It all went quite well.

Friday, still feeling a bit grotty, but I took my car in for her first MOT in the afternoon and did the shopping while I waited, and waited, and waited. OK, so they needed to replace a tire in order for her to pass, but 40/45 minutes is the time for an MOT; why the extra hour? It takes under 10 seconds to change 4 tires and refuel in a Grand Prix pit stop, and either Jake or Josh on his own can change a wheel in under 10 minutes without the advantages of a fully equipped garage. It's a mystery.

Saturday. Got up and realised that a) I felt better and b) I felt hungry for the first time in a week.

And now it's Sunday. Our service is this afternoon at 4.30 - Communion, Baptism and Mothering Sunday Service all rolled into one. In the meantime I have prepared the wherewithal for roast beef which I will put in the oven in about an hour. It doesn't feel right hanging about at home on a Sunday morning.